Wilted Flowers
by gwensan
Summary: After leaving everyone and embarking on their own journey, Kyou begins to slowly notice Tohru's sadness. Kyou/Tohru


Pairing: Kyou/Tohru

Rating: PG for language

Disclaimer: _Fruits basket_ belong to its respective owner. This was written for entertainment only.

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_Wilted Flowers_

The bells jingled as Kyou opened the door, causing him to wince, as though the bells had done some sort of injustice to him. He placed a foot in the store and the other foot outside, still indecisive.

So what if he took a small detour before coming home? No big deal, really no big deal.

The dojo closed early today, after a student was rushed to the hospital. The idiot had landed clumsily on the side of his foot—and not wanting to look foolishly—the moron harshly kicked his injured foot in the other direction. This resulted in excruciating amount of pain, and the poor fool clutched his poor foot, crying out in pain.

The head master felt responsible and took him to the hospital. Kyou hadn't minded that much. Training really was a hard, nowadays. So it was nice to have a little time to himself.

Come to think of it, his four months in the mountains was nothing compared to here. Twice he had broken a rib, fractured his wrist, or broken a leg. But he realized that it was all worth it. Everyday he felt himself growing stronger and faster, just a little bit stronger of course. But Kyou could realize that ever since he arrived here, he had definitely improved.

Training was good. He could easily handle the pain. It was just that—

"Oh good afternoon, sir," a woman spoke, appearing from the back of the room. She gave him an inquisitive look, before blushing. Quickly, she shook her head, changing back to her professional demeanor.

"Welcome to Ayaka's Flower shop. How may I be of assistance?"

Kyou sighed, realizing that really there was no harm in doing this. He stepped inside the brightly lit flower shop, momentarily distracted at the assortment of flowers. Flowers of every shape in size decorated the room, stirring the air with sweet fragrance and dabbing every corner of the room with color.

He rearranged his back bag before stuffing his fist into his pockets.

"I'm looking for some flowers for my girlfriend."

His face flushed, the tint of red matching perfectly with his orange hair.

As he mentioned, training was starting to be a lot easier, compared to what he's been going through lately.

Kyou learned from an early age how to deal with physical pain. He learned to downplay pain for Shishou. Back then he wanted to be the strongest person in the dojo, so whenever he sustained an injury, Kyou simply set his determined face, ignoring the pain.

Twice Shishou caught him, reprimanding him but then chuckling to himself. "Being strong doesn't mean ignoring your injuries. Everyone gets hurt. What's important is that you have to understand why you get hurt and then seek help."

Maybe Tohru was like that.

Before Tohru there was nothing but pain and grief, misery and suffering. He had foolishly thought—no more like believed—that the rat was to blame for all his problems.

All his pain—his mother's death, his father's abandonment, being outcast, being hated and ignored for simply being born—gathered in one ball and redirected itself to Yuki. Defeating Yuki would solve all his problems, he reasoned.

Defeating Yuki would rid him of this pain and loneliness.

But then Tohru came. With her little words of wisdom and kind smiles, slowly beginning to heal the pain. Carefully, she removed that dark layer about him, making him feel safe and loved.

With Tohru he didn't remember he was his mother's murderer or possessed by the evil cat spirit or the outcast of the family. Tohru searched for him in his grotesque form, sobbing and shaking with fear, begging him to come home and continue to live together. She had accepted him.

Kyou knew then there was something special about that girl—that clumsy, goofy girl. He didn't know just yet, but Kyou knew there was something special about her. As they continued living together, creating new memories, laughing and smiling together, Kyou wondered if maybe, just maybe he was falling in love with her.

"You think you are qualified to love her?" Akito had yelled— reminding him again of the true monster he was. Reminding him that by loving her, he would only drag her down, getting her more involved with the Souma's curse.

But Tohru was an idiot—the biggest idiot he ever met in his life.

She hadn't care of the monster living within him. She hadn't care about getting deeper involved with the curse. She hadn't care about leaving her family and friends behind to make a new living with him.

She hadn't cared at all. But maybe if she did care...

"Some flowers for your girlfriend? Oh that's so sweet of you," the flower assistant smiled delightfully. "So do you have any flowers in mind?"

The question brought him back to the flower shop. He shrugged. "I don't know. Whatever looks pretty… I guess."

The flower assistant nodded, probably used to the clueless males that walked into her flower shop. "So is there any special reason?" she asked pulled out a sheet of paper and setting about her work.

"No just because," he mumbled.

After graduating from high school, Kyou began training in a specialized dojo far from the Souma compound. Tohru insisted on come along.

He argued many times. Mentioning that they would probably live in poverty, a high contrast to the luxury Souma living; and reminding her she wouldn't be able to see all her friends as often.

Tohru only smiled sadly. "But it would be even sadder being without you."

A part of him had secretly agreed. Tohru was such a big part of his life that if she suddenly left—he would feel alone and empty.

And so they bid farewell to their family and friends, settling residence far away in a neighborhood of complete strangers.

How selfish had he been.

Since they moved here, Tohru had done nothing but work to support their meager apartment and pay the bills.

She had taken a part-time job in an office, filing cabinets and sorting mail, and another job at a local supermarket in the afternoon. Saturdays she babysat two kids and Sundays she cleaned and cooked all day.

Kyou already worked at a warehouse, sorting out boxes to ship overseas, and he offered various times to find another job to help out. But Tohru insisted that he should be focused on his training, they had come this long way for the specialized training, after all.

Perhaps what bothered him worse was that Tohru, still found time to cook breakfast and dinner, to bandage his wounds, to make the apartment look warm and cozy. She was doing all this for him, keeping up this façade when she was really mourning the loss of her friends.

She had given up a good life to live this shitty one with him.

Kyou could easily deal with physical pain but seeing her in so much stress and loneliness was even worse than any punch or broken bone.

He glanced at his wristwatch, where the old beads used to be hung, and cursed at the late hour.

"Look I've gotta go. Do you think you can hurry?"

"I'm almost done," she said cutting another stem. Another flower or two and she smiled at her finished work. "There you go. I think you're girlfriend will definitely like these."

He had to admit, the bouquet really looked nice- filled with an assortment of bright colours and sweet smells. It was something that Tohru would definitely like.

The flower assistance gave him a discount and then waved good-bye happy to be of assistance and bidding him to return.

The walk to the train station was slightly awkward, trying to hold a bouquet of flowers on one hand and trying to ignore the giggling and whispering of some school girls. The local high school had just ended, so the train platform was absolutely flooded with students heading home.

For a moment he simply waited in silence, clutching the bouquet of flowers and straining to hear for the arrival of the train.

If he had known that he would be forced to confront high school girls, he would have rushed home sooner. Then again how stupid of him to be afraid of going out into public for fear of harassment?

"Oh excuse me."

He winced already knowing the reason. Kyou glanced down at some girl, dressed in her high school uniform, batting her eyelashes and throwing flirtatious looks.

Damn it what the hell was wrong with girls! Girls, high school or middle age, were infatuated with him for whatever reason in this town. It almost seemed as though the entire male species had been wiped out, and as a result girls competed over him.

Granted back in high school, girls had surrounded him before, giggling and blushing for no apparent reason, passing secret love letters and always trying to string a conversation.

Sometime a girl would confess to him, even hoped for a date, but compared to those innocent days in high school it was nothing compared to this. Several times he feared going outside, solely because they would trip over themselves begging for a date, screaming like a bunch of banshee in jealously when he glanced or spoke to one.

Once he even received a crying woman on the street pleading him to bear his children. Then there had been the bolder ones that whispered some secret pleasures. Normally Kyou took that as a cue to run far, far away.

He was never into girls, more like scared of them (Kagura being a prime example), and he really found them annoying. Still if he were swarmed with rapid fangirls, then Yuki was definitely drowning in a sea of fan girls at his university.

The girly-man had so many admires that one would think he were some divine being (though to be honest many people believed that too). Thinking back maybe it was Prince Yuki's fan club that shielded both of them from the utterly insane girls. He sighed.

Never would he have imagined missing Prince Yuki's fan club.

"I was wondering if you would have the time," she continued smiling, batting her eyelashes.

"Quarter to five." He mumbled. Both of them could see the ridiculously large clock in front.

The train was already ten minutes late and he had wanted to meet Tohru as soon as she got off the train, so they could walk home together. He'd surprise her with some flowers and hopefully her sadness would ease somewhat.

"So are you new around here?"

Kyou rolled his eyes, turning his back on her, wishing she would take that as a cue to leave. Unfortunately, she didn't take the hint. She kept staring at him eagerly like some overexcited puppy.

"Yeah. Me and my girlfriend moved in four months ago."

"What?" she pouted. Her face darkened with jealousy. She didn't look pretty anymore, but crazed with resentment. Her sharp eyes moved to the bouquet of flowers in his other hand.

"Oh really?" she said with unconvincing delight. "Maybe I could show you around? You know I'm the daughter of-"

On and on she went about how she was the daughter of the mayor and how she had so much money and influence and several summer houses, blah, blah, blah.

Again Kyou rolled his eyes.

To even think of doing something that dishonorable to Tohru was just despicable. He loved Tohru, completely loved her that to do something to hurt her was completely unforgivable. That and he supposed Yuki and half their friends would brutally murder him.

"Damn it! Just go away, you're annoying!"

She stared at him appalled before she sniffed and ran away.

Within a few minutes an announcement broke through the clatter of the platform, informing that the train would arrive shortly. Soon people gathered into groups, still talking, as the whistle of the train grew louder and louder. In less than a minute, the train skittle to a stop and the doors burst open.

The crowd squeezed into the doors, searching for seats aboard the train or else standing, holding the rail. Kyou stood at the far corner, trying not to draw as much attention but as usual he could hear that annoying badgering of giggles and whispers.

He glanced at the bouquet of flowers, clutched on his right hand.

Again his heart felt heavy whenever she thought of Tohru, now. She no longer was that goofy, clumsy girl, with bright smiles and wise advice.

In the beginning she was ever the optimist, eager to be independent and hard-working.

They had both been happy, the couple of days together but now that they saw even less of each other. There had been days when he hadn't even spoken to her or seen her because she was at work or he was at the dojo. Dinners were spent together, like in Shigure's house, Tohru would be running out the door, telling him of the hot soup on the stove, or else he would be too tired and she would eat alone.

She had tried to hide her sadness through her smiles and kindness but lately she couldn't do it as effectively as before. Lately he noticed that her smiles were becoming strained that she was using make up to hide the dark shadows under her eyes that she would hide under the covers, when she thought he wasn't home, and stay there all night.

But what was even worse, Kyou realizes, is that she never once let a tear drop. She never cried but would dimly stare at the portrait of her dear mother, her chin resting on the desk.

It had only been for the tiniest of seconds that he ever saw her like this, because next moment she smiled brightly welcoming him home. '_Is she sad because of me?' _Kyou thought to himself.

'_Is she miserable here? Is she staying because of me?' _

What if Tohru was dying inside? The pain of being so far away from the people she loved, of being so distant to the person she loved the most. Maybe all this was too much for her? And the beautiful flower was finally wilting away from the harsh autumn winds?

He should ask her to leave- the thought come to him more than once. But Kyou knew that he couldn't stand it if Tohru were to leave. The warm, calming feeling that she seemed to carry about her would dissolve into the air and he would be left utterly destroyed and heartbroken.

He needed Tohru as much as he needed air.

The train began to slow, an announcement declaring that the train would be arriving momentarily. Kyou picked his book bag from the floor, throwing it on his back, and gripped the bouquet, more tightly now.

As he walked out, a bunch of students made a heavy racquet. Suddenly he was harshly pushed of the train, as though whoever it was was impatient to leave the train.

"What the hell?" he yelled back, trying to shove back at the crowd. But like harsh tidal waves, the crowd pushed at him and he lost his footing, landing hard on the floor. Several people also landed on the floor but they scrambled up and hurried away, as though this were nothing but an everyday occurrence.

Kyou cursed loudly, picking himself up and glaring at the busy business people that couldn't seem to wait patiently for one moment.

His stuff suddenly came to mind. He turned his head, his ruby eyes scanning the heavy crowds. Until finally he saw it.

The poor flowers had been trampled. Squashed and dead, they resembled nothing of the beautiful bouquet that he had carried before. They had finally died after suffering so much from the harsh environment.

Kyou didn't understand why he suddenly felt hurt and distressed; they were just stupid flowers after all. Stupid flowers that probably would have welt up and died when the pressure of the outside world was too much.

It hardly matter that they had been destroyed.

Still… why couldn't he get these stupid tears out of his eyes? Why was this uncomfortable feeling in his chest, growing and growing? Why could he only think that this would be Tohru, someday?

Why had this event suddenly foretold him just what would become of Tohru? Would she finally yield under all this pressure? Would the outside eventually pummel her spirits lower and lower each day until finally she was not the Tohru he had known and fallen in love with?

Tohru was sad, very very sad. She was miserable and neglected here, nothing like the warm, loving environment she had been used to. Back in Shigure's house, she had Yuki to keep help her out with homework and talk with. Uotani and Hanajima would always make her feel protected and accepted. Everyone, everyone made Tohru smile but now they were far away and she could no longer smile.

Kyou knew that after her mother's death she would cry silently to herself, wondering just why her mother had to be taken from her and then arguing to herself that her mother should always be the most important person in her life.

But would this sadness that she tried so desperately to hide, be too much? Would she suddenly be overcome by sadness and be a mere reflect of the girl she used to be?

It was because of him that she was like this. He was stomping on another flower, just as he had done so when he was alone and filled with pain in the mountains. Again he was carefully, stamping on another innocent flower, selfishly thinking of himself.

"Ah Kyou-kun! What's wrong?"

He looked up, seeing Tohru standing there, a puzzled look on her features. She had probably just gotten off from another train and was surprised to see him looking over some dead flowers, tears in his eyes.

"Nothing," he lied, hastily wiping the tears. He forced a smile. "I was gonna get you some flowers, but they got trampled."

She blushed. "Thank you so much, Kyou-kun!" But then she became suddenly thoughtful, noticing how much he had been. Gently she set her hand on his cheek, forcing him to look up at her. " I know it's sad about the flowers but the fact that you thought about me, means so much. Just you thinking about me makes me so happy."

"No you're not," he argued, trying to push back the tears. "Tohru you hate it here. You shouldn't have come, you should have stayed home."

She looked surprised at the sudden exclamation. "Kyou-kun-"

"You're always thinking of others, Tohru. But for once do something selfish. You don't have to stay here, you don't have to be dragged down by me. You can go home." He pushed back her hand. Several people watched curiously on the busy platform, but he didn't care. This was something that had been bothering him for a long time now and he wanted to get it off his chest.

"Go home Tohru," he whispered.

Tohru stood quietly before picking out a lone flower that hadn't been as trampled or destroyed. Its pedals had not fallen, but the stem was awfully bent. If she could place it in a vase with water, then maybe this flower would continue to grow and bloom brightly.

She pressed it close to his hands.

"I know it's been hard these last couple of months but I don't regret leaving." Tohru smiled looked up at him, and smiled— a true sweet smile that he hadn't seen in so long, a smile that reverted back to her old self.

"Everyday I become a bit more happy being with Kyou-kun and soon I know—" she paused then eagerly looked up at him. "I know that happiness will overcome any sadness if only Kyou-kun is with me. I don't want to leave Kyou-kun. I never want to leave you."

"I don't ever want to leave you either. I need you Tohru, I need you so much but I don't want you to be miserable because of me. I want you to be happy and if you can be even a little bit happy at home, then I want you to do it."

"I want you to be with you Kyou-kun. Really I do because if you're not there then maybe I might be overcome by sadness and grief. I would be more lonely and miserable if Kyou-kun is not there. Please I want to stay with you."

He threw his arms around her, embracing her tightly in the train platform.

The horn of the next train, broke them from their embrace. Tohru blushed, stuttering something indistinguishable about his missing bag, and starting to fret about looking for ended up tripping over her own feet.

"Be careful," he said, picking her up. "People are going to be departed soon and that get's hectic."

"Sorry but I found you bag Kyou-kun!" she said happily holding it out. He smiled, entwining his fingers with hers, while she helding the lone flower that had managed to survive in the other hand.

Slowly but surely, she became that same, goofy and clumsy girl that he fell in love with, and would always, always be in love with.

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